Optional Updates under Settings

Question

I am using Windows 10, 64-bit.

The question is the Optional Updates under Settings is showing ten driver updates to keep my computer up to date. Do I have to download and install all 10 updates? It doesn't seem right. What do you recommend?

Answer 1

Optional driver updates in Windows 10 are not required for the system to function, but they can help keep hardware working properly and improve stability or performance.

Recommended approach on Windows 10 (64-bit):

1. Open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
2. Select Advanced options and make sure Receive updates for other Microsoft products when you update Windows is turned On.
3. Go back to Windows Update and select Check for updates so all important updates are installed first.
4. If View optional updates appears, select it.
5. Under Driver updates, you can:
   • Generally select all listed driver updates and choose Download and install to bring all device drivers up to date in one go, or
   • If there are devices that are working perfectly and you prefer to be cautious (for example, storage or network drivers), you can leave those unchecked and only install others (like display, audio, or input devices).
6. After installation finishes, restart the PC even if not prompted.

Windows treats these as optional because they are not strictly required, but installing them is supported and recommended when aiming to keep hardware current. If a specific driver causes issues, it can later be rolled back via Device Manager.

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References:

• Automatically get recommended and updated hardware drivers
• Tips to improve PC performance in Windows